Non-Scale Victories

Sometimes the scale can be so frustrating. Like last week I did 1.5 hours of cardio, 30 minutes of Jillian's video Ripped in 30, and ate 100% clean for 6 straight days and I lost a whopping 2 pounds...REALLY!!! I was so mad!

My husband quickly calmed me down and told me that I was burning the fat, but building muscle at the same time and so I might not see huge scale victories.

Here are some non-scale victories I have experienced lately.

• Put on a pair of size 14 jeans right out of the dryer & they weren't tight (I started this in an 18!)
• Lost 8" in my waist (1" in my boobs. WTH? Boobs, you are not welcome. LEAVE!!!)
• You know those creases on the side of your back (back roll), well they are slowly disappearing!
• I power walk a 5k or more everyday like it's no big deal!
• I am no longer craving sugar and bad foods everyday!
• I have more energy!
• Went to the doc yesterday and when the nurse came out to get me she said "you've lost weight"
• My husband hugged me and said "I can tell you have lost weight, my arms go farther around you now"

Here is a talk I had with myself recently......

As long as your are working hard and sticking with it, it's gonna work. If you don't work hard, it's not gonna work. You can't expect to do what you have always done, eat bad and not exercise, and see results. It just won't happen. So get off your booty and stay focused. NO EXCUSES! You have absolutely no excuse to not make this happen.

I am the excuse queen...I don't have time, I am too tired, I can't get up early, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!! If it's worth it to you, you will make time. I have no excuse to not get up 1 hour early and get 1 hour in right away. I have no excuse not to do Jillian in my home after work. I have no excuse not to cook healthy and eat less throughout the day. If it's not worth it to you, you will find the excuses and believe they are true. But if you do this...no complaining on being fat, not looking good in clothes, having no energy cause it's your fault....you have to make the change. No one can do it for you.

Clean Mini Pizza's

Sorry for the crappy picture again! I forgot to take one after they were out of the oven, but you get the idea!

Last Friday night I needed to make something with the leftover sauce I had made Monday for my Clean Chicken Parm. I had added some Jenni-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage and mushrooms to it on Wednesday and made spaghetti, but I still had a little of left to use up. (I am really trying to be good about using leftovers) I was out of pasta so that was out of the question. I started looking in the fridge and these whole wheat mini pitas caught my eye....I can make mini pizzas! Since those pitas are really a pocket and kind of thick, I split them apart. I added a couple of leaves of baby spinach, a little bit of sauce, and some shaved parmesan to them. Put them in the oven on 350 for about 10 minutes. This was quick, easy, and hit the spot. My husband loved it. These would be great as an app for a party or a snack for the kids!

Clean Eating Tomato Soup w/ Grilled Cheese

So tonight was not a great night for tomato soup and grilled cheese being that at 7:30 it was still in the upper 80's! However, that is what I made. I was soooo not in the mood to cook anything and we are going out of town on Friday and I did't want to buy groceries this week. This means I have to get creative. I knew I had bread and cheese that I wanted to use up before we left so a grilled cheese sandwich it was! Of course you have to have tomato soup and I just happen to have 2 cans of organic tomato paste in the pantry. This was the most thrown together meal I think I have ever made ....well maybe not! I tend to do this often! It's just the way I cook. My husband loved it, so that's all that matters!

Clean Eating Tomato Soup
2 6oz cans of tomato paste
3 cups of water
1/2 cup of FF greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of raw agave
1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan on med-low add all ingredients. Whisk often for about 10-15 minutes.

While the soup is heating make the grilled cheese.

Clean Grilled Cheese (For 2)
2 pieces of clean eating bread (whole wheat with no sugar)
4oz of low fat mozzarella shredded
8 medium baby spinach leaves
EVOO spray
(I normally add a few avocado slices, but I was out)

Cut each piece of bread in half. I use my olive oil sprayer to spray a little olive oil on the sides of bread that will be facing outward. Add 2oz of cheese per sandwich and 4 spinach leaves. Cook in a skillet on med-low heat for about 5 minutes each side....until golden brown on each side and cheese is melted.
(These are small sandwiches since the whole concept of eating clean is to eat smaller portions. For my husband I use 2 full size pieces of bread and more cheese!)

Clean Shrimp Fried Rice

Horrible pic taken with my phone while I was trying to cook and take care of a 3 year old!

I love fried rice. When we go to a Chinese or Thai place I ALWAYS get the fried rice. I like it with chicken, shrimp, or scallops. On this night all I had was shrimp so that's what I went with. My 3 year old niece was over and we were having a girls night. If you ask her what her favorite food is she will tell you.....chicken, rice, and broccoli. I had to kind of fib to her and tell her the shrimp was chicken, but she cleaned her plate!! :) This is such a fast and easy thing to cook on a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time or aren't in the mood for something big. Of course you can change up the veggies you add to it. Sometimes I use corn and mushrooms. Normally just what I have on hand.

Clean Shrimp Fried Rice

3 cups of cooked brown rice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli (I steam mine)

1/3 cup of cooked diced carrots (I just cooked them in the microwave before hand)

1/3 cup of cooked baby peas (I used one of those frozen steamer bags in the microwave)

About 30 uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

1/4 cup of Bragg Liquid Amino Acids

1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb

In a small nonstick skillet on medium heat break your eggs in it. With a wooden spoon, kind of move the yolk around with the white. You aren't going for that full scrambled egg. You want a little white and yellow. Here is a video of what I mean. Of course you don't have to get all fancy like that! Just gives you the idea! Once the eggs are cooked set it aside for later.

Place rice, Mrs. Dash, and coconut oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Cook and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add veggies. Cook and stir occasionally for another 2 minutes. Move all rice and veggies to the side of the skillet and add shrimp to the open side. Cook and stir until pink and white. Mix in with the rice. Add Bragg and the egg. Stir until Bragg has coated everything. Enjoy!

A Quarter of the Way Down

This isn't a lot and I have a LONG way to go, but I am still very proud of it! :)

Clean Eating TV Dinner

To be honest with you I didn't really think a frozen TV dinner that was clean existed. I pretty much crossed those off my list, until.....I got last month's Clean Eating Magazine. They featured an Amy's Kitchen frozen meal in the magazine that was clean. Of course I had to try this. Sometimes you are in a hurry and don't have time to prepare a clean meal. This little meal is my saving grace. It's very flavorful and healthy. Just the right portion and of course it's CLEAN!!! Even my husband liked it and he hates tamales. I keep lots of these in the freezer all the time!

Clean Chicken Parm

The original recipe for this chicken was not intended to be for chicken parm and it was made with lots of mayo...YUCK! I just can't stand mayo and it's not the healthiest, but to be honest I bet it tasted pretty darn good!

I decided to clean it up and when cleaning something up my go to ingredient is....greek yogurt! So I replaced the mayo with greek yogurt, added some Mrs. Dash, swapped out Italian bread crumbs for clean eating bread crumbs, made some brown rice pasta and clean pasta sauce and VOILA!, Clean Eating Chicken Parm! My secret ingredient for my sauce is apple juice. Since most red sauce has sugar in it to cut the tartness, I add 100% apple juice. It thins it out a little (which it needs) and sweetens it up a bit!

See how I make clean bread crumbs here.

Clean Eating Chicken Parm
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup of FF greek yogurt
3 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb 1/2 for chicken and 1/2 for sauce
4 teaspoons of clean bread crumbs
1 teaspoon of salt
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon of garlic salt
1/3 cup of 100% apple juice (I use Martinelli's)
4 servings of cooked brown rice pasta
6-7 fresh basil leaves (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425. In a medium bowl mix yogurt, parmesan, Mrs. Dash, and salt until well blended. In a baking dish, (I line mine with tinfoil) sprayed with olive oil spray, place chicken side by side. Smother it with the cheesy greek yogurt mixture and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Cook for about 20 minutes.

While chicken is in the oven, cook your pasta and sauce. In a medium sauce on medium-low heat add tomato paste, tomato sauce, Mrs. Dash, garlic salt, and apple juice. Cook for 15 minutes.

Plate the pasta first, a little sauce, chicken, and a little more sauce. I added some shaved parmesan to the top and cut up fresh basil.

Slimming Summer Drink

I was watching The Chew the other day and Dr. Oz was on telling Summer Slimdown Secrets. One thing that caught my eye and ear was a grape fruit drink he was talking about. You drink a large glass of 100% grapefruit juice, 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, and a little honey to sweeten it right before your meals. Well I absolutely hate vinegar and grapefruit juice and I don't want the added honey. So.....I do more like an 8oz glass with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. It's so gross, but I think after a week I will be so used to it I won't be able to tell it's so nasty!!!! This is what Dr. Oz has to say about it......

The drink changes how you absorb sugar, boosts your metabolism and reduces inflammation.

I need all of the above!!!

I used Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar and Simply Grapefruit since I know it's 100%! I ran out of grapefruit juice over the weekend so I only did this a couple of times. This morning I bought 2 bottles of it so I will let you know at the end of the week if I can tell a difference!

*Grapefruit Juice and other citrus juices can have an affect on some medications.

Clean Flank Steak with Wild Mushroom Relish and Herbed Whole Wheat Couscous

I found this awesome recipe in my Clean Eating Magazine. We don't eat a whole lot of red meat lately, but I kind of miss it a bit. When I saw this recipe in my magazine I was very excited to try it. It's very easy and very quick!

The Clean Eating Magazine has quite a few awesome recipes in it and I highly recommend getting a subscription. I love to cook, so cooking magazines are my fave.....especially healthy ones!

Flank Steak with Wild Mushroom Relish and Herbed Whole Wheat Couscous 
Serves 4

Olive Oil Cooking Spray
1lb of Flank Steak with visible fat removed
1/4 tsp each Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1 cup of whole wheat couscous
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
2 tsp olive oil
16oz of sliced wild mushrooms (cremini, shiitaki, portobello and/or oyster variety)
1/2 cup of dices white onion (I used a shallot instead)
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp of fresh chopped parsley (I used italian flat leaf)
1 tbsp of fresh thyme
1 tsp of balsam in vinegar (I used 2 tbsp)

Heat a stovetop grill pan (I used an iron skillet) on med-hi and mist with olive oil spray. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until medium rare. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. (Steak will continue to cook as it rests)

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous and oregano. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare relish: In a large skillet, heat oil on med-hi. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes, until mushrooms are soften. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, thyme, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice steak crosswise, against the grain, into 1/4 inch this slices, and divide among serving plates. Top with the relish and serve with couscous, dividing evenly.

Clean Meatloaf

I can't stand meatloaf. I think it sounds like the most disgusting meal ever. Meat should not be in the form of a loaf. My best friend calls me every time she makes meatloaf to tell me she is "making my favorite meal".  Well, my cousin came to town a couple of years ago and made this meatloaf. Since it was made with turkey and mushrooms I decided to try it. It was really good. So, I have cleaned it up and bit and I really like it!

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing

2 cups of clean bread crumbs (I made my own with Ezekiel Bread)

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound of turkey sausage

1 pound ground turkey breast

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/3-inch loaf pan with olive oil.

Toss bread with broth in large bowl. Let stand until bread absorbs broth and softens, about 10 minutes. Mix in mushrooms, eggs, shallots, parsley, thyme, coarse salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil.

Add turkey; mix just until blended. Transfer to pan, mounding in center. Bake until thermometer inserted into center registers 170°F, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

I didn't have any pictures of it because meatloaf, like I said grosses me out. I decided to share a picture of the singer, Meatloaf, when he looked clean!!! ;)

Clean Honey Vinaigrette

My husband and I walked to Phish Phood tonight for their awesome summer salad. I love any salad that is greens with any fruit, any stinky cheese, and any nuts! It's my favorite combo. Unfortunately the salad dressing is loaded with sugar and has bacon in it...not good for the no sugar and clean eating plan. So I decided I had to make my own sugar free dressing. It's so easy, I am not sure I will ever buy dressing again!

Clean Honey Vinaigrette 
2 1/2 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb

Day 7 of No Sugar

So far so good! I really haven't had to many cravings which is nice. I don't feel like I have been as strict about it this week as I should. When I went on my anniversary trip I had sandwich that I am sure has sugar in the bread. Since then I have been doing a pretty good job though. I am very surprised that I am not craving it. I am still craving other foods though. Like PIZZA and a big ole cheeseburger. Other than that I am good to go. I will write in next week to see. After 2 weeks I might be singing a different tune ;)

Clean Eating Granola

I LOVE granola! I Especially love it on greek yogurt with some strawberries for breakfast! YUMMMY!!! My friend Lori gave me this Alton Brown Recipe and I decided to try to make it clean. You can't even tell. It was almost clean to begin with!

Clean Eating Granola

3 cups of hot multi-grain cereal
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup of cashews
2 tablespoons of toasted flax seed
2 tablespoon of cinnamon
3/4 cup of shredded coconut (I omit this)
3 tablespoons of raw coconut crystals
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of organic maple syrup
1/4 cup of coconut oil
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Microwave the coconut oil for about 10 seconds to melt it.

I a large bowl combine the cereal, nuts, coconut (if using), flax seed and coconut crystals.

In another bowl, combine maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt. Combine both bowls and mix. Pour onto 2 sheet pans and spread out. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Let cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. You can add the raisins at this time, but I add a little each time I use it so the moisture of the raisins doesn't affect the granola. ENJOY!!

Clean Avocado Chicken Salad

This was very good and I don't even like chicken salad! So quick and easy to make. I always have guac, canned chicken, and greek yogurt on hand so this is always available! 

Clean Avocado Chicken Salad

1 large can of all white chicken

1/4 cup of FF greek yogurt

dash of garlic salt

1 tsp of garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

1 100 calorie pack of Wholly Guacamole

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended. I ate this with crackers, but you could serve it as a sandwich on clean bread.

Thanks CBS, for ruining my day!

Ok, so I know that diet soda is NOT clean, but I still drink it. Number one because I am addicted to it and number two because it has no calories. I have drastically decreased my intake in the last couple of months, but after this I think I need to get off it cold turkey...ok may 1 a week!!! ;)

Watch and Read This

Wholly Guacamole

Well I have officially found my favorite clean snack....wholly guacamole 100 calorie packs. Why are these little packs of goodness so amazing...I'll tell you.

1. Portion Control. I could eat a bucket of guac. So the fact that these are portioned out in little packs is awesome!
2. You can freeze them. You can freeze these little suckers for up to 3 months. I LOVE that!
3. They are all natural and clean!
4. You don't have to keep avocados on stock. I don't know about you, but my avocados always end up going bad. I forget they are there and it's too late.
5. Last but not least, they taste GREAT!

Junkless June

AKA NO SUGAR JUNE!!! This month I am kicking off no sugar month. When I say no sugar, I mean no refined added sugar. I will still eat fruit, agave, and honey. Just nothing with added white sugar. Which means I will be reading a lot of labels since they tend to sneak sugar into about EVERYTHING!!! No fructose, dextrose, sorbitol, or any of the other 100 things they call it! Even though I will have agave and honey, I am going to try to limit those as well.

My reason for starting this...

I went to my therapist yesterday and told her I can't even drive by a fast food restaurant without wanting to stop in. I am totally addicted to food. She said it's the sugar I am addicted to. It's a drug. So, with that said she wanted me to go 28 days without it to kick the habit. This is going to be really hard for me and I am going to need lots of prayers.

The thing about having a food (sugar) addiction is that it's socially acceptable and you have to eat to live. With that said, I can't just take food out of my life, but I can take sugar. She said this doesn't mean I will need to be sober from sugar, but that 28 days will kick the cravings. It will kick the wanting to go out to eat and thinking about food all the time. She said the sugar is running my brain.

So we will shall see. Going out to eat for my 5th anniversary to La Vigne this weekend and I had already looked at the dessert menu....no can do now! That's ok, my husband is sweet enough!!! ;)